


Peace & Tranquility (The End)

by jack-of-alltrades (bumblebeeJacky)



Series: Lack Of Tranquility [1]
Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - YouTubers Gone Wrong, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Other, ill add more tags as it goes on ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22340791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblebeeJacky/pseuds/jack-of-alltrades
Summary: The people that knew what happened didn't upload to their channels for a while - the ones close to him anyway. Some continued, a more solemn mood settling over them with each video as they tried to ignore the ‘elephant in the room’. He felt sick looking through each date, each thumbnail sporting a picture of him in a fox mask, looking more and more exhausted, each video titled simple and sweet. My Stalker, risks, dangerous. Peace. Tranquility. The End.
Relationships: Kenny McCormick/Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Series: Lack Of Tranquility [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608166
Kudos: 24





	1. Story

The video wasn't anything anyone expected.

Not even close.

The people that knew what happened didn't upload to their channels for a while - the ones  _ close _ to him anyway. Some continued, a more solemn mood settling over them with each video as they tried to ignore the ‘elephant in the room’.

There was no way to describe the grief and horror of those close to him as his dear, well known friend Dogaholic - Stanley Marsh - uploaded the first video.

Princess Deck, or Ken Doll, valued his privacy intensely. Sometimes they could hear his voice in the background of Stanley’s videos, see Stan look off to the side to speak with his friend, but not once has anyone seen Kenny’s face  _ except _ Stanley and Ken’s family.

Which is likely why all the comments only pointed out  _ lies _ and  _ that can't be him he swore he'd never show his face _ . It was hectic. Kenny and Stan didn't respond for soon to be obvious reasons.

Stan, grief stricken and doing little more than following a lonely blond boy's will, scrawled by a shaky hand in glittery purple pen on a piece of slightly torn paper. Stan didn't even have to guess or think very hard on who would have written it when he received the letter, demands to post the privatized videos.

He felt sick looking through each date, each thumbnail sporting a picture of  _ him _ in a fox mask, looking more and more exhausted, each video titled simple and sweet.  _ My Stalker _ ,  _ risks _ ,  _ dangerous. Peace. Tranquility. The End _ .

He was watching it for the first time with everyone else, his friends at his sides as he gazed at Kenny through the screen, the only way he'd ever see him again.

Kenneth, in a Chinese fox mask and his signature parka, hands shoved in his pockets to retain warmth as blue and brown eyes stared through the mask into the lens of his old, shit camera.

_ Hello _ , he said.  _ You may know me as Princess Deck or Ken Doll. You already know I answer to Princess and Kenny, and that's all of my name you need to hear this story. If you're seeing this video, it means I'm most likely gone, and there will be no more videos, no more appearances - Princess Deck is dead, just as I myself soon will be. _

_ If you're seeing this, my dear friend Dogaholic, Stanley, has signed in to my account and posted it on my own request. I left him close instructions and what I'd call my will. _

Stan remembered that feeling of dread as he received the letter in his mailbox and read it at his desk. Now he simply wanted to shed tears over the videos, over the last time he knew he'd ever see Kenny.

His phone rang and he answered it within seconds on seeing the caller ID. He didn't pause or mute the video.

_ Over the next few weeks, Stan is going to post one of these videos a day, in order hopefully. Each has a one word title, all set up and edited. I want this documented. I want my own sanity proven during this. _

_ This was little more than an apology and an introduction to my story. So here's me as I am, here for you to judge as you will. _

_ Regardless of whether or not you think this is fake, that changes nothing. Not now. _

_ My name is Kenneth James M. I run a YouTube channel called Princess Deck where I read stuff and play games with friends. My super best friend is Eric from Killer Broadcast. My brothers are Stan from Dogaholic and Kyle from Kitegenics. I have a brother and sister I will not disclose the names of, and thanks to my wonderful friends, I own a dog named Princess. _

_ She is absolutely spoilt. _

_ I’m single, I used to be in a poly relationship that ended quite sour because of a wrong place wrong time situation, costing me two dear friends - the loves of my life - I miss to this day. Maybe I'll text them before this is over. Some final goodbye. _

_ And this mask will be staying in place until the end. You'll see me with it off when this is over. _

_ So strap in. This will go on as long as it must, I suppose. _

_ God knows the police won't do anything for me now. _

_ So here’s the final goodbye of Kenny James M. Ken Doll. Princess Deck. _

_ Goodbye for now. _

He reached forward to his camera and the video ended. Stan stayed silent, staring at the black screen. His friend on the other end whispered, “Did you know?” He stayed quiet for but a moment. “Know what?”

“You know  _ damn _ well what, Stan.” Kyle snapped and he swallowed thickly. “Did you know what was going on? That Kenny was going to pull this? Or even where he is right now, or even that he’s  _ safe _ ?” Stan had to think, had to think of how well he knew Kenny, how  _ long _ he’s known the younger man.

“No.” The one word that answered everything.

He didn’t know Kenny was doing this.

He didn’t know where he was, or if he was safe, terrifyingly enough.

Kenny never told him a word of what was going on.

_ How well did he actually know Kenny? _

Clearly not well enough.


	2. Goodbye

The video started blurry, trying to auto focus in a slightly less than well lit room instead of Kenny’s bedroom.

There sat Kenny, mask in place and phone in his lap, fidgeting. He looked so uneasy, something that made Karen feel just as uneasy watching him. God, he looked so different than what she remembered when he was around.

He was so confident, quiet and proud most of the time. Even when Kenny was sad or unsure, you’d never guess with the way he gave sunshiney gap toothed smiles and affection even as he felt like he was about to cry. She couldn’t remember a single time Kenny ever cried around her other than when he was nine years old, tears dripping down pale, freckled cheeks as he hid in his closet with his five year old sister in his lap, hiding from their high mother and drunken father’s loud rage and unapologetic anger and threats.

She could remember being seven and walking up to the door of Kenny’s room where she knew Kevin was, a picture in her hand and excitement in her heart - she just couldn’t wait to see Kenny’s reaction to her drawing of the three of them!

Except a sound had stopped her back then, stopped Karen just outside Kenny’s door as one of her brothers’ muffled sobs reached her ears, Kevin’s voice soft in his attempts to soothe Kenny and calm him down. He did that a lot, now that she thought back on it.

Here, he was visibly uneasy, frazzled and nerves shot as he fidgeted, still so uneasy to be showing any part of himself on camera, still so full of disdain for his own appearance and the cameras his friends carried around. He didn’t move off screen or turn it off or fiddle with the machinery at all despite his desire to.

_ He came back again, today _ , he whispered, shifting as he stared at the camera.  _ He… There were more threats, this time. Threats and this… This disgusting fantasy of the fucking weirdo, all because he liked the voice of some gamer online. Because he has no sense of respect, of reasoning and logic, of- of limits and space and b… Be… Fuck, it was… Boundaries! No sense of how a normal human being acts! Yes I know you’ll see this video, and I hope you know that, that burning fucking pit of  _ **_disgust_ ** _ in my stomach each time I see you and I hear your voice. _

Her fingers pressed to her lips, stomach twisting. God, the more she learned, the sicker she felt. She hastily scrawled a few notes on the notepad in front of her, gaze locked on the screen, on her now late brother she missed so, so much.

He took in a deep, shaky breath.

_ I wanna go home. You guys have no idea how badly I wanna go home. Kev’s voice, Kar’s hugs, Leo’s cooking, my two… M… My… _

He stopped, sat still as he watched the camera. His hands were shaking. He slowly lowered his head to look down at his phone and exhaled more slowly.

_ I think it's time I apologized _ , she watched her brother breathe as he stared at the phone in his hands through his now signature mask, still for a minute before he averted his gaze and sighed.

_ I miss them _ , he murmured.  _ All it took was a case of wrong place wrong time for things to shatter like glass… it's been over a year and I still miss them. They thought I'd lied about quitting things like alcohol and smoking. They were so disappointed in me… _

He tapped his phone, pulling up his contacts as he glanced back at the camera, as though someone was truly right there, watching him, speaking to him.  _ Their, uh… they're still in my phone. Their names are star boy and sunshine… I… I loved… I  _ **_love_ ** _ them… I still do, after all this time... _

Karen had to wonder how many people noticed the movement below his mask, the tear sliding off his face and onto his pants.

He stayed still again before taking a deep breath and tapping one of the contacts, holding his phone up to his ear, moved off camera - closer off screen for people to hear both sides.

**_What do you want, McCormick?_ **

_ I… Hey, C… Tucker. Um… _

**_Spit it out._ **

_ I called to apologize. _

**_… For?_ **

_ For what happened. For never pushing hard enough to explain. For hurting you and Tweek. _

**_Whatever, I have to go-_ **

_ Wait! Please, Craig, please hear me out. _

There was so much desperation in his voice, so much heartache.

_ Craig, please, I don't have time for fights anymore. My time is running out, I just… I’m so fucking sorry. _

**_What do you mean your time is running out? What's going on?_ **

_ It is what it is, there's nothing that can be done now, I just- _

**_Kenny, what's going on?_ **

_ I love you, Craig. I still do. I still love Tweek too. I was- I was gonna give him a call after you. _

Silence followed, she could hear the faintest noise leave Kenny - something soft and uneasy as he waited for a response.

**_You have one minute to explain what happened then._ **

_ I- Kevin smoked a lot back then. He didn't do drugs but he smoked and drank a lot more than he does now. You both smelled it on my clothes. Smoke saturates everything. My house reeked of it. Everywhere except my room anyway. Craig I'm so sorry… _

**_……. It's too late now, but I forgive you._ **

_ I- _

**_What's after you?_ **

_ …. I can't tell you. I have to go now. _

**_Wait-_ **

_ I love you, Craig _ .

Click.

Long silence followed, seconds ticking by into minutes before he let out a shuddering breath, that weak little gasp she recognized from when they were much younger and he'd go crying to Kevin when he had a nightmare that truly shook him.  _ Ugh, fuck… Gimme a minute… _

Another minute before he sighed shakily and cleared his throat.  _ Mmh… okay. Okay. Tweek’s turn. _

Ring, ring…

_ … _

Ring, ring…

**_Craig told me you'd be calling._ **

_ Cool. Say why? _

**_Yeah._ **

_ So I can skip over that? _

**_I still want to hear it from you._ **

_ I’m so, so sorry for what happened back then, I'm sorry I didn't push hard enough to explain. And I'm sorry I waited this long to say sorry. _

**_What's going on with you, Ken? Why are you calling us now?_ **

_ Because… because I'm not gonna be around much longer. No, I can't tell you exactly why, I'm sorry. But… I can't- I can't just accept the end and never apologize. I can't leave the loves of my life hurting like that, always thinking oh he's just a liar that prefers alcohol and drugs over us… _

**_Kenny-_ **

_ No, it's okay. I know you thought it and it's okay. _

**_Is it something to do with your health?_ **

_ Only via a bullet. _

**_Ken, have you gone to the police?_ **

_ Yeah. Lack of evidence. No one believes me when I say I'm being stalked… Tweek, please stop asking, please… I needed to apologize, to… _

**_We love you too._ **

_ Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you- _

**_It's okay, Kenny, just breathe. It'll be okay…_ **

Their voices were getting fainter, and she could hear the footsteps retreating away, taking the rest of the conversation to a more private setting.

A cut, and he was back in the chair, looking rather frazzled despite the mask in place.

_ I did it _ . He breathed.  _ I- they know, now. The story. Both of them. Both stories. I'll just have to wait and see if they heed my advice and stay away… _

_ Is it wrong that part of me is hoping they don’t take my advice? _

_ Is it wrong just how badly I want them here with me? _

The video ended.


End file.
